Live-conversation modules on online social networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing one or more posts of an online social network; extracting n-grams from each post; determining, for each post, whether it is associated with a trending topic based on whether one or more of the extracted n-grams are associated with the trending topic; caching each post determined to be associated with the trending topic in a corresponding conversation cache; calculating a quality-score for each cached post; and generating a live-conversation module comprising one or more of the cached posts having a quality-score above a threshold quality-score.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising, by one or more computing devices:
 accessing one or more posts of an online social network, each post comprising a content of the post and a metadata associated with the post; 
 extracting, for each post, one or more n-grams from the content of the post and the metadata associated with the post; 
 determining, for each post, whether the post is associated with a trending topic based on whether one or more of the extracted n-grams are associated with the trending topic; 
 caching, for each post determined to be associated with the trending topic, the post in a conversation cache associated with the trending topic, wherein the conversation cache is comprised in one or more data stores associated with a social-networking system of the online social network; 
 calculating a quality-score for each cached post based on information associated with an author of the cached post,
 wherein the information associated with the author of the cached post comprises information about an amount of time for which the author of the cached post has been registered as a user on the online social network, and 
 wherein the quality-score for the cached post is reduced by a particular amount when it is determined that the cached post was made by the author during a probationary period, the probationary period being a predefined period of time from the time the author of the cached post first registered as a user on the online social network; 
 
 generating a live-conversation module comprising one or more of the cached posts retrieved from the conversation cache having a quality-score greater than a predetermined threshold quality-score; 
 sending, to a client system of a first user of the online social network, the live-conversation module for display to the first user; and 
 sending, to the client system of the first user, update-information configured to update the live-conversation module by replacing the one or more posts in the live-conversation module with one or more other cached posts retrieved from the conversation cache, wherein the sending of the update-information occurs automatically without input from the first user. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 accessing a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them, the nodes comprising:
 a first node corresponding to the first user; and 
 a plurality of second nodes that each correspond to a concept or a second user associated with the online social network. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sending of the update-information occurs periodically. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more other posts were created on the online social network at a later time than the replaced one or more posts. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the live-conversation module is customized for the first user to whom the live-conversation module is sent based on information associated with the first user. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information associated with the first user comprises demographic information of the first user. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the quality-score for each cached post is further based on a history of activity by the first user on the online social network. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the live-conversation module is sent to the first user in response to the first user accessing a search-results page of the online social network associated with the trending topic. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the quality-score for each cached post is further based on an affinity coefficient between the author of the cached post and the first user. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the client system of the first user, a request associated with the trending topic; and 
 sending, to the client system of the first user, a search-results page comprising the live-conversation module and one or more other modules associated with the trending topic. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the post is associated with a trending topic further comprises:
 accessing a list of trending topics that are currently trending on the online social network; and 
 matching the one or more n-grams from the content of the post and the metadata associated with the post with one or more n-grams associated with one or more trending topics on the list of trending topics. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the live-conversation module comprises a maximum number of posts. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quality-score for each cached post is further based on an occurrence of one or more n-grams in the content of the post that are associated with spam. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quality-score for each cached post is further based on a sentiment of the post. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the author of the cached post further comprises a number of connections on the online social network that the author of the cached post has with one or more users who are associated with spam. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the author of the cached post further comprises demographic information of the author of the cached post. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conversation cache is partitioned across two or more of the data stores associated with the social-networking system. 
     
     
       18. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:
 access one or more posts of an online social network, each post comprising a content of the post and a metadata associated with the post; 
 extract, for each post, one or more n-grams from the content of the post and the metadata associated with the post; 
 determine, for each post, whether the post is associated with a trending topic based on whether one or more of the extracted n-grams are associated with the trending topic; 
 cache, for each post determined to be associated with the trending topic, the post in a conversation cache associated with the trending topic, wherein the conversation cache is comprised in one or more data stores associated with a social-networking system of the online social network; 
 calculate a quality-score for each cached post based on information associated with an author of the cached post,
 wherein the information associated with the author of the cached post comprises information about an amount of time for which the author of the cached post has been registered as a user on the online social network, and 
 wherein the quality-score for the cached post is reduced by a particular amount when it is determined that the cached post was made by the author during a probationary period, the probationary period being a predefined period of time from the time the author of the cached post first registered as a user on the online social network; 
 
 generate a live-conversation module comprising one or more of the cached posts retrieved from the conversation cache having a quality-score greater than a threshold quality-score; 
 send, to a client system of a first user of the online social network, the live-conversation module for display to the first user; and 
 send, to the client system of the first user, update-information configured to update the live-conversation module by replacing the one or more posts in the live-conversation module with one or more other cached posts retrieved from the conversation cache, wherein the sending of the update-information occurs automatically without input from the first user. 
 
     
     
       19. The media of  claim 18 , wherein the software is further operable when executed to:
 access a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them, the nodes comprising:
 a first node corresponding to the first user; and 
 a plurality of second nodes that each correspond to a concept or a second user associated with the online social network. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The media of  claim 18 , wherein the sending of the update-information occurs periodically. 
     
     
       21. The media of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more other posts were created on the online social network at a later time than the replaced one or more posts. 
     
     
       22. The media of  claim 18 , wherein the live-conversation module is customized for the first user to whom the live-conversation module is sent based on information associated with the first user. 
     
     
       23. The media of  claim 22 , wherein the information associated with the user comprises demographic information of the first user. 
     
     
       24. The media of  claim 22 , wherein the quality-score for each cached post is further based on a history of activity by the first user on the online social network. 
     
     
       25. The media of  claim 22 , wherein the live-conversation module is sent to the first user in response to the first user accessing a search-results page of the online social network associated with the trending topic. 
     
     
       26. The media of  claim 22 , wherein the quality-score for each cached post is further based on an affinity coefficient between the author of the cached post and the first user. 
     
     
       27. The media of  claim 18 , wherein the software is further operable when executed to:
 receive, from the client system of the first user, a request associated with the trending topic; and 
 send, to the client system of the first user, a search-results page comprising the live-conversation module and one or more other modules associated with the trending topic. 
 
     
     
       28. The media of  claim 18 , wherein the software when executed to determine whether the post is associated with a trending topic is further operable when executed to:
 access a list of trending topics that are currently trending on the online social network; and 
 match the one or more n-grams from the content of the post and the metadata associated with the post with one or more n-grams associated with one or more trending topics on the list of trending topics. 
 
     
     
       29. The media of  claim 18 , wherein the live-conversation module comprises a maximum number of posts. 
     
     
       30. The media of  claim 18 , wherein the quality-score for each cached post is further based on an occurrence of one or more n-grams in the content of the post that are associated with spam. 
     
     
       31. The media of  claim 18 , wherein the quality-score for each cached post is further based on a sentiment of the post. 
     
     
       32. The media of  claim 18 , wherein the information associated with the author of the cached post further comprises a number of connections on the online social network that the author of the cached post has with one or more users who are associated with spam. 
     
     
       33. The media of  claim 18 , wherein the information associated with the author of the cached post further comprises demographic information of the author of the cached post. 
     
     
       34. The media of  claim 18 , wherein the conversation cache is partitioned across two or more of the data stores associated with the social-networking system. 
     
     
       35. A system comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to:
 access one or more posts of an online social network, each post comprising a content of the post and a metadata associated with the post; 
 extract, for each post, one or more n-grams from the content of the post and the metadata associated with the post; 
 determine, for each post, whether the post is associated with a trending topic based on whether one or more of the extracted n-grams are associated with the trending topic; 
 cache, for each post determined to be associated with the trending topic, the post in a conversation cache associated with the trending topic, wherein the conversation cache is comprised in one or more data stores associated with a social-networking system of the online social network; 
 calculate a quality-score for each cached post based on information associated with an author of the cached post,
 wherein the information associated with the author of the cached post comprises information about an amount of time for which the author of the cached post has been registered as a user on the online social network, and 
 wherein the quality-score for the cached post is reduced by a particular amount when it is determined that the cached post was made by the author during a probationary period, the probationary period being a predefined period of time from the time the author of the cached post first registered as a user on the online social network; 
 
 generate a live-conversation module comprising one or more of the cached posts retrieved from the conversation cache having a quality-score greater than a threshold quality-score; 
 send, to a client system of a first user of the online social network, the live-conversation module for display to the first user; and 
 send, to the client system of the first user, update-information configured to update the live-conversation module by replacing the one or more posts in the live-conversation module with one or more other cached posts retrieved from the conversation cache, wherein the sending of the update-information occurs automatically without input from the first user.